Chapter 7 Flashcards
Republicanism
A society in which all citizens willingly subordinated their private interests, in favor of the common good.
Mercantilism
A belief that wealth is power and could be measured by the amount gold or silver in a country’s treasury.
Stamp Tax
A measure meant to raise revenue to support a military force in the colonies, it was met with tremendous resistance, especially in New England.
Nonimportation Agreements
A wide spread movement amongst colonists to protest the Stamp tax, whereby colonists refused to import British goods and instead made due with products made in the colonies.
Declaratory Act
Passed by Parliament shortly after the repeal of the Stamp Tax, this law reaffirmed Parliament’s right to bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever.
Townshend Acts
A series of taxes aimed at raising revenues in the colonies. Most of these would eventually be repealed, with the notable exception of the tax on tea.
Boston Massacre
A mob act that got out of control and ended with British Soldiers firing into a crowd of civilians, killing and wounding several. Paul Revere later created an engraving of the event that proved to be one of the first successful pieces of propaganda in the colonies.
Committees of Correspondence
Their chief function was to keep alive the spirit of resistance to British Policies by writing letters to one another.
Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773 about 100 Boston residents loosely disguised as Indians tossed more than 1 million dollars worth of Tea into Boston Harbor. It led to the passage of the Intolerable Acts by Parliament.
Intolerable Acts
Closed the Harbor in Boston, took away many of the Chartered rights in Massachusetts, established martial law in Boston. These laws were so harsh they helped unite the colonies against English rule.
Quebec Act
This law extended the southern border of Canada all the way to the Ohio River. It also guaranteed the Catholic religion to the inhabitants of Quebec.
First Continental Congress
It met in Philadelphia in 1774. This served to further unite the colonies and after working for several months the most important action that the congress took was to issue a boycott of English goods. This boycott was run by a group known as the Association.
Lexington and Concord
A British attempt to capture a store of colonials arms and ammunition that resulted in the first shots of the Revolutionary war. After the battles colonial sharpshooters harassed the British soldiers all the way back to Boston.
Valley Forge
A location a little outside of Philadelphia where George Washington’s army spent a horrendous winter of starvation and smallpox. It was also here that the army obtained a strict discipline and order.
